Filling fork



J. M. TUTEN FILLING FORK June 8, 1954 Filed July 18,1952

INVENTOR. JAMES. M. TUTEN A TTORNEY I III 11 Patented June 8, 1954 UNITED STAT-ES PATENT IC E' 4 "FILLING FORK assignor to -Draper Corporation, Hopedale, Mass, at corpo- :r'ation of Maine Application-July. 1 8,- 1952, Serial No. 299,655

' e 9 Glaims; (Cl. 139-377) misplaced shuttle. V'I he mechanism of this patent functionsonly. if. theoo-shuttletis engaged Icy-movement of the lay in one direction,.,tha,t is

and will do that nomatterwhichvdirection the shuttle .mov.es.toward the prongs. The fork is also so devised vthat after having drawing .wherein:

Fig. 1 is a-perspective viewshowing the .novel filling forkt applied to a typical tion thereof.

-Fig. 3 isasection'through the lay'and attendant-parts of a loom showing the-relative-relationship v of the filling fork .thereto.

Fig, 41 :is'ta; view showing the fork when the anobstruction in prongs.

Figsvs and 6, are similarsectional views --but showing the smanner in which the filling fork the upper ends of a plurality of swords one of which is shown at 16 and which are oscillated to and fro in a manner well known to those conversant in this art. The shuttle is arrested and positioned at the outermost points of its travel at each end of the lay by shuttle box mechanism generally indicated by numeral 11 and which need not be described in detail here.

At at least one end of the lay beyond the reed, and possibly at both ends, there is provided a grid 13 which is adapted to cooperate with a filling fork having one or more, plurality, of fork tines or prongs if! held within a holder generally indicated by numeral 2!! and which is pivoted at 2! adjacent the end of a filling fork slide 22, this slide extending forwardly and having cooperation with certain other stop motion mechanism well known to those skilled in the art and which will not be shown or described here. More or less jecting forwardly from the filling fork holder 29 is a loop 23 adapted to be engaged by a filling motion hook 2!; which is periodically reciprocated throughout a slight angular extent by filling cam means of known construction. This hook normally fails to engage the loop 23 since the latter will have been raised as the fork is tilted about pivot 2| whenever the prongs l9 engage filling held in their pathway and positioned by the forward, vertical members of the grid 18. At such times as the filling is not present, or is not properly present since it is perhaps very slack, the filling fork will not be moved about its pivot and the loop 23 will then be in a position to be engaged by the hook 24 and stopping of the loom is thereby initiated since the hook 24 in moving forwardly will also move the filling fork slide 22 forwardly a corresponding amount, the other parts (not shown) thereafter functioning in the intended sequence to bring about the actual stopping of the weaving mechanism.

Now referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the filling fork holder generally indicated by numeral 2%! is actually a two-part mechanism, one part 25 being slotted or notched as at 26 for the reception of an inner part 21, the loop 23 being fixed in the former while the prong or prongs 59 are fixed in the latter. These parts are normally, as will hereinafter be described, maintained in a definite position at which the loop 23 and prongs 19 are held more or less at right angles except as the prongs are engaged by an obstruction. A pivot in the form of a tube or sleeve 28 passes through the forked ends of the part 25 and also through the part 21 so that the latter may pivot relatively to the former when the occasion arises. The pivot pin 2| on which the entire fork swings passes through this sleeve. A central, angularly disposed plunger retaining boss 29 is preferably cast integrally with the part 25 and is bored as illustrated in Fig. 2 at 29' so as to guide the plunger 30 having a stem 31 which is also guided in a smaller aperture at the upper or forward end thereof. A spring 3 l normally tends to urge this plunger so that its point 32 is pressed against a cam surface on the adjacent face of the pivoted part 21. This cam surface actually comprises a central notch 33 and, at either side thereof, rounded lobes 34 and 3'5. When the plunger is engaged in the notch, as illustrated in this Fig. 2, the prongs are retained in a desired operative position. Under those conditions they function whenever they engage the filling relatively taut in front of the grid 18 and tilt the entire filling fork as intended so that hook 24 may not make but preferably a horizontally disposed and provention and the motion hook and mally effective for contact with loop 23. However, it does not require a great deal of force at the prongs to move the holder part 21 so that the parts may be moved as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 6 to clear an obstacle such as a shuttle, the plunger at that time being slightly displaced against, the tensionof spring 3!. The curvature of the cam lobes 34 and 35 is such that the spring and plunger will, when the prongs no longer are engaged by such an obstruction, automatically return the parts to their initial or normal position wherein the point 32 engages within the notch 33. It is obvious that the forces required to displace the prongs and part 21 may be varied. by varying the contour of the cams and that in accordance with other practical requirements, the actual details of the parts may be varied within limits.

Now referring to Figs; 3 and 4, the shuttle 12 may be misplaced into the pathway of the fork and when the lay is then moved forwardly as shown in Fig. 4, the prongs contact against the shuttle moving the part 2'5 about pivot 28. The plunger is pushed inwardly of its guiding bore against the tension of spring 31 but upon release, the parts will be moved to original position ready for further operation of the loom. It is to be noted that the hand rail i5 is notched so that the filling fork may tilt without being obstructed. The function herein described and claimed is of advantage when the loop 23 is caught by hook 24 when the parts are moving as in this Fig. 4.

The loom shuttle may be misplaced as indicated due to a human error, for example, when working on the loom, it is sometimes necessary to move the shuttle from the box manually and if the loom is attempted to be started then, or if the lay is moved forwardly by hand wheel operation of the parts, the particular contingency just above described and illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 is likely to be encountered. At other times the parts may be in the position of Fig. 5 and the shuttle either moved manually so that it forms an obstruction in the path of the fork prongs when the lay is again moved to the rear, or this ma occur under power, for example, when a check strap becomes broken the shuttle rebounds excessively. That may happen at a time such as to present one of the situations herein given by way of illustration.

As shown in Fig. 6, the rearward movement of the lay parts swings the prongs and the holder member 21 in the direction reversely to that shown in Fig. 4 so that no damage is done and likewise, upon release of the prongs from the shuttle, the spring, plunger and appropriate cam lobe cooperate to return the parts automatically to their normal and operative positions.

While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive concept may be carried out in a number of ways. The invention is, therefore, not to be limited to the precise details described, but is intended to embrace all variations and modifications thereof falling within the spirit of the inscope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A filling fork for looms which comprises a holder adapted to be pivotally mounted in a filling fork slide, a. loop for engaging a filling at least one filling engaging prong, said holder being comprised of two parts, in one of which said loop is fixed and in the other of which the prong is held, and means norretaining said holder part in which the prong is held in fixed relationship to the holder part in which the loop is fixed, but

loop for engaging a filling motion mg fork slide, a loop for engaging a filling motion ning said holder part in which the prong mentioned part is pivotally mounted in the first angular movement of the prong and hold r part fixed relationship to the part in which the loop is position after release. 7. A mechanism as in claim 6 wherein said cam d of two parts, in ne of holder adapted to be pivotally mounted in a which the pron i 11 1a i movement in the other, said loop being fixed in pted to be pivotally mountedinafilling permitting the pivoted part of the holder and rong is held, and means including holder part said cam surfaceinoluding two lobes on is fixed, but effective to permit which said plunger is movable and a spring art t th normal 13051. References Cited in the file of this patent f k f 1 hi h UNITED STATES PATENTS g or or ooms w 0 comprises a ted to be pivotally mounted in a fill- 1 32 5 Wi 2 33 P gm e, a D for a in a filling motion {275,487 Snow 1918 Ff one filhng in prong, said {661x337 Ma} 1928 15mg a Slotted r to which the 1681888 skedgeu g 8 nd a s nd part pivoted to t first 3 

